State Democratic Party Chair Dwight Pelz, a superdelegate to the national convention, has officially declared his support for Sen. Barack Obama. Following a theme we’ve seen throughout Obama’s recent flood of endorsements, Pelz writes:
Throughout this campaign, I have gained an enormous respect for Hillary Clinton. This country and this party are unquestionably far stronger for the contributions she’s made throughout this campaign and throughout her long career in public service. I will be eternally grateful for Sen. Clinton’s appearance at our awards dinner last year, as she was warmly welcomed by Washington State Democrats, and for the time she has spent campaigning in Washington state. I have no doubt that Sen. Clinton would be a tough, thoughtful, intelligent, compassionate, and supremely-prepared President of the United States.
At this point in time, however, I feel the voters have spoken, that Sen. Obama will be our nominee, and that it is time for us as Democrats to begin the final stretch of this historic 2008 campaign to take back America. It is time to unify our party around one candidate.
There was a point early on when Clinton led Obama five to one in WA superdelegates. Obama now leads seven to five, with five remaining. (Actually, it’s seven to four with five remaining, as Ron Sims isn’t technically part of WA’s superdelegate slate, earning his slot as president of the National Democratic County Officials. But why get technical?)
Great news! Hillary is almost finished!
Wellllll…
Superdelegates are associated with the states in which they live, no matter how they earned their status. Tom Foley (also a Clinton backer) is a superdelegate from Washington because he’s a former Speaker of the House, not because of holding a current federal office, being governor, or being a DNC member. If he had retired to Sedona or Lake Havasu City, he’d be an Arizona superdelegate.
IOW, Sims is just as much a Washington superdelegate as Cantwell, Dicks, Gregoire, Pelz, …
N @2,
Okay, make that seven to three.
I do think that superdelegates who receive that honor outside of any active role in state politics aren’t as obligated to reflect the will of state voters as are elected and party officials.
So will Obama end up with an overall majority of 2,026 by the time of the Montana and South Dakota primaries on June 3? RealClearPolitics.Com has their current count at 1,900 to 1,718.
Oregon has 52 on Tuesday, and Kentucky 51. With Clinton having a huger poll lead in Kentucky, than Obama in Oregon, Obama might pick up 50 pledged delegates tomorrow.
Puerto Rico has 55 delegates on June 1. This is probably a strong Clinton demographic, so 20 maybe 25 delegates for Obama.
So unless Obama picks up 50 more superdelegates before June 3, Montana and South Dakota might actually get some attention this year.
For Pelz, who spent much of a previous life endorsing Castro, movin’ on up to Obama is a baby step in the right direction.
Nobody said anything about the Nebraska primary on May 13, 2008. It didn’t count for anything on the Democratic side — because this was decided by caucuses on February 9, 2008 — which Barack Obama won 68% to 32%. So there was a beauty contest primary, which Obama won by only 49% to 47% over Hillary Clinton.
The Republican primary in Nebraska apparently counted — and John McCain won 87% to 13% over Ron Paul. Apparently, one of McCain’s largest percentage victories so far. And the Republican turnout was actually 50% bigger than the Democratic turnout in Nebraska. Still sort of anemic for the GOP, given a total beauty contest on the Democratic side, and the fact that Republicans have historical been MUCH stronger than Democrats in Nebraska.
And now for the rest of the story ……….
Pelz is an old Dem, Democrat. An apparatchnik par what passes for excellence.
Does the Obama victory mean something more than a strategic acceptance of the inevitable?? Is “Obamism” or just the following of a great man?
Under the Bushistas, the Reprican party foundered on the rocks of a strict credo. Is it too early to say that I hope Obamism will encourage intelelctual diversity?
Goldy, I don’t think superdelegates have any “obligation” to reflect the will of the voters in their state (or their district).
They do need to take that strongly into account, along with all the other factors swirling around them. Each of them will weight those factors as they see fit, and decide how to vote on the basis of that weighted calculation.
With Dwight’s background in community organizing and grassroots outside-the-Beltway action, was there ever really any doubt about his preference?
N @8,
For that matter, not even pledged delegates have a legal obligation to reflect the will of the voters.
But I think superdelegates have a moral obligation to well consider the will of voters, and I think that’s exactly what many of the superdelegates who have come to Obama recently have done. It’s time to end this thing, and the supers are flocking to the candidate who has arguably received more popular support, whereas the Clinton supporters tried (and failed) to bring them in with an electability argument.
@9 Goldy Fairness in Politics?\
Are you really advcating fairness in politics? I knew it! Under that grizzled beard and beneath the tonsured hair do, lies the heart of an idealist!
Seriously, as a long term Obama supporter, it is clear that HRC WOULD be the candidate if she had done a few things only slightly differently. She is as likely as he to be the real choice of a majority of dems .. maybe more4 so.
Obama’s victory reflects many things .. his own charisma, hos obvious intellect, his choice of advisers, and the apparent need the nation has for a leader. Mnay of these qualities equally describe Hillary.
If she is a great person, she will come out of this in a magnanimous fashion .. appearing as one of the great politicians of her time .. something her husband would never have achieved w/o than the presidential panache.
Her biggest challenge in the short run is making up for her white liberal racism. She has a lot of healing to do with the AA community. As a non candidate this can be difficult. The AA activists are very aggressive and I am nto sure why they need her other than .. to oppose Obama’s moderatism on issues sa the schools or aff action.
This one’s for Puddy – your favorite democratic “racist” – Byrd of WV, comes out for…Obama.
Guess it is only the republicans who are left in the “racist” category.
Byrd …
aside from the troglydite pleasure rad repricans may take in Byrd’s history, you might also note that he has played a historic role in defending the constitution vs. Bush.
I honstly do not know whether Puddy will vote Obama or McCain, but I do know that McCain MUST put the Bushites behind them.
Just imagine what happens if McCain is elected .. he can not govern the Bushistas. He can only govern as a New Republican which means:
hard assed loyalty to the Constitution … something Bush’s Supremes seem not to care about but Byrd does.
a realistic foreign poicy based on the stands of generals like Zini and pols like Byrd, hagel and Obama.
an environmental policy that violates every fiber of Bushism .. can you spell K-Y–0T-O? Anyone know a Reprican who wants to support Kyoto?
acceptance of science, not creationsim. How many Repricans support posting Orogin of the Species in every classroom?
support for Israel as a homeland for the Jews not the site for Armageddon.
Seattle Jew – nice fantasy, but McCain has shown his stripes. He will pander to the rgith wing, select SC justices that are far right wing (Scalia types), support torture, support lifting taxes on the rich, support the war and the current hand-picked Generals and generally be Bush2. Anything else belies his entire track record so far of running for office.
You give just the sort of McCain apologist tract that was used for Bush (and the false compassionate conservatism). Open your eyes to what McCain is doing and saying right now – rahter than imagining what he “might” say if he tried to appeal to voters that he has not even cared about. His “environmental” speech was pathetic – he does NOT differ from Bush on almost any MAJOR issue.
@5 Pelz never endorsed Castro but Bush’s grandfather endorsed Hitler.
@7 What’s wrong with apparatchiks? I’m a Democratic apparatchik. Is something wrong with that?
@10 I tend to agree that Clinton blew the nomination. It was hers to lose, and lose it she did.
More superdelegate movement today (in addition to Dwight Pelz).
The RealClearPolitics.Com tally as of now is 1,912 Obama to 1,720 Clinton. Just a few hours ago, it was 1,900 Obama to 1,718 Clinton.
It is possible that enough superdelegates will declare to give Obama the magic 2,026 after tomorrow’s primaries. But it would be interesting to see Montana and South Dakota decide matters on June 3.
“Bush’s grandfather endorsed Hitler.”
Pull your furry little head out of your furry fat ass, Rabbit. It wasn’t Bush’s grandfather endorsing Hitler; it was Ted Kennedy’s father.
(As for Prescott Bush, linger for a moment over the name Brown Brothers Harriman. As in Democrat royalty & royalties.)
@18
Prescott Bush and his father-in-law George Herbert Walker did indeed finance Hitler during the 1930’s and on October 20 1942 the United States seized a bank, Union Banking Corporation, of which he was an owner and director under the Trading with the Enemy Act. Having gone through the books of the bank, further seizures were made against two affiliates, the Holland-American Trading Corporation and the Seamless Steel Equipment Corporation. By November, the Silesian-American Company, another of Prescott Bush’s ventures, had also been seized. A report issued by the Office of Alien Property Custodian in 1942 (now public at the National Archives) stated of the companies that “since 1939, these (steel and mining) properties have been in possession of and have been operated by the German government and have undoubtedly been of considerable assistance to that country’s war effort”.
Pelz is a Commie.
Anyone who loves Fidel is a Commie!
Fidel was a nasty SOB.
When Dwight realized people that work, serve in the military, are disabled, etc, can’t vote, he put a letter on WA-Dem web that said those that don’t show at caucuses don’t care! Great leader for Obama! Real WA state democracy! Go ahead & steal our delegates, I’ve got them tied up and really to roll! When did anyone think he wasn’t for Obama? WA state may turn red again thanks to these caucuses and the easy defeat of Obama by McCain. What kind of vote for MI & Fl do you think Dwight will give? He’s like Obama, only want your vote when I need it & if I like it!
Hugo Chavez, Raul Castro and Ahmedenijad have endorsed Obambi as well..Name ONE Obambi accomplishment?? Lightweight?? more like a flyweight OR Flea weight…
Obama says NO more SUV’s NO more heater on past 72 and NO MORE food for you Just exactly what do all you sycophants see in this gerbil? I’ve never seen a more arrogant un qualified peon get so far in politics a vote for Obama is a joke.. His stanky wife runs her mouth but he says can’t talk about her.. can’t mention his middle name HEUSSEIN can’t call him a liberal.. can’t mention his race baiting pastor.. you see he LOST California to Hillary just like all the major states… He rants about hope and change yet has NO ideas JUST raise taxes and his hatred for Republicans that will unite the country how???? He sucks and I am already sick of seeing his smug little face and hearing his platitudes.. He has NO ideas not one.. JUST hate Republicans and tax them hatred is NOT a value Barack you priggish elitist..
Hillary blew it?? That is news to Bill…